Switchboard.



yIAT}E`.1\I'FED JAN. 8, 1907.

W. D. WEIR. SWITGHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 2, 1905.

I l J Attorneys` WELBY D. WEIR, 0E WINNSBoRo, TEXAS.

swlTcHBoAnD.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

lPatented/Jan. 8, 1907.

AApplication filed October 2, 1905. Serial No. 280,953.

T 0 JZ jzvlwnt it 'nt/ty sonnent:

Be it known that I, WELBY D. WEIR, a citizen of the United States,residing at VVinnsboro, in the county of Woodand State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Switchboard, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates 'to switchboards for use in telephone-exchangesand electrical plants, and has for its principal object to provide aboard of simple and economical construction and of such nature that anywire may be instantly connected to any other Wire in order to complete acircuit between the line and Ijack wires of a telephone centralstation'or for the purpose of completing circuits of any description.

A furthery object of the invention is to provide aboard in which-allshort circuitsmay be prevented and in which the parts are of suc natureas to permit ready construction and asseinblement at minimum expense.

A still further object of the invention is to rovide a switchboardhaving rings or simiarsocket members of such construction as to retainthe circuit-closing plug in position and to Jinsure good rubbing contactwith the plug, so that the parts shall be bright and clean and certain,

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form oflug for use in connection with switchboar s of thistype.

Withthese and `other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter apear, the invention consists 1n certain nove Afeatures of constructionandjarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustra-tedinthe accompanying drawings, and .particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of. the

structure may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificingany .of the advantages o the invention.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a switc boardconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 isa .verticalsection of the same, showing a con- SO` necting-plug in place. Fig. 3 isa detail per spective view of parts of the board detached.

Similar numerals of reference are emvand these y are soldered each goodelectrical connections made' ,between the ri Vshort-circuitin'g rsprevented.

ployed to indicate corresponding. parts throughout the Several figuresof the drawings.

10, formed of wood or any suitable non-connumber of openings, thesebeing preferab y arranged at regular intervals in cross-rows, andthrough each' opening is placed a contact-rin 11, formed of metal, theopposite edges ot the'ring being flanged or turned, as indicated in Fig.2, in order to prevent movement. of the ring from position. These ringsmay be formed of light sheet metal and rapidly placed in position by asuitable fianging machine acting on a single ring or a number of ringssimultaneously.

In boards of the. most simple construction two boards 10 10 areemployed, each provided with alined openings. The rear face of one ofthese boards-the board 10, for eX-' ample-'is provided with a series ofverticallyarranged grooves 12 for the reception of one set of wires-21s,for instance, the jack-wireswire to a single vertical row ofcircuit-closing rings. The

other board 10 is provided with a series of.

horizontal grooves 12 for the reception of thelother set of Wiresforexample, the linewires-and these are soldered each to a horizontal rowof circuitclosing rings on said board 10. g Between' placedpa thirdboard 15, having 'o enings 16 malinement with theo enings o the otherIboards and preferably o such ,diameter as to permit the entrance of thefianged'ends ofv the circuit-closing rings, as will be seen on referenceto Fig. 2. These'spacing-boards are of suflicient thickness to preventContact ngs of the two boards, so that .With a board constructed asdescribed it Will be seen that by inserting a suitable cir- Incarryingout the invention the beardthese two boards isl cuit-closingmember-for example, a plugf l in two alined openings of the boards 10 10a circuit will be closedoetween a line-wire and a jack-wire, and owingto the arrangement of the line-wires any line-Wire may be connected toany jack-wire. l

Where the switchboard is intended for controlling metallicreturn-circuits of telephone-lines or for other similar purposes, the

IOO

yas

.closing rings of the boards 10a boards are of like construction, sothat by inserting a plug of suitable character through four alined ringstwo separate inetallic circuits may be closed. In a construction of thischaracter it is preferred that the boards 10 10a be grooved for the re'ception of jack-wires and the boards l0 and 10b be provided withhorizontal grooves for the reception of the line-wires. sertion of aplug 20 it will be seen that two cirouit-closinr rings of the boards 10and 10 are electrically connected, and two circuit#-v and 10b areconnected.

For the convenience of the operator `the front\board is provided with aseries of sets of numerals, one set being arranged above thecircuit-closing rings to indicate the numbers of the jack-wires and theother below said rings for the purpose of indicating the c I closingring formed of metal, the ring having numbers of the line-wires.

In Vorder to insure good electrical contact between the circuit-closingplug and the rings, the-latter are provided with slits 22, between which'are formed tongues 23, the

of t e ring and being elastic, so that when a plug is inserted they willtend to bind against' thermore, so arranged that the friction due to theinsertion of the plugs will keep the tongues bright and clean, and goodelectrical contact is thus made certain.

The plu 20 comprises a handle member 24, from wln'e projects a suitableshank 25, that is formed of metal and is designed to close a circuitbetween the rings of the boards 10 and 10. From the shank portionprejectsa.

spindle, 26,'on which is mounted an lnsulat ing-collar 27 and aninsulating-sleeve 28, the

latter servingas a support for a sleeve 29,

formed of metal, so that when the plug is in- On the intonglues beingbent inward toward the center serted the rings ofthe boards 10t1 and 10bwill be electrically connected.

Havingi thus described the invention, what is claime is- 1. Inaswitchboard, the combination with a pair of parallel boards, each havinga plurality of openings, circuit-closing rings arranged in said openingsand provided with flanged end portions projecting beyond the facesof'thc boards, and a spacing member formed of insulating materialarranged between thek boards and having openings of larger, diameterthan the circuit-closing rings for the reception of the flanged ends ofthe rings and serving tomaintam the latter in spaced relation. i

2. The combination in a switchboard, ofva pair of boards, cach providedwith a plurality of openings arranged in intersecting rows, and eachhaving wire-receiving grooves in one of its. faces, rings arranged inthe openings, and conductors arranged within the grooves andelectricallyaconnected to said rings and a spacing member arrangedbetween the boards and having openings in alinemen't with those of theboards.

3. vIn switchboard constructions, a circuitsolid ends and itsintermediate portion being slit to form tongues that are bent inwardtoward the center of the ring.

4. The combination in a switchboard, of a plurality of boards arrangedin parallel relation and provided with alining openings, ring contactsarranged within said openin s an provided with solid ends and intermeate inbent integral tongues arranged to bind against and hold acircuit-closing plug, and a spacing member formed of vinsu atingmaterial arranged between the boards and having openings of largerdiameter ,than said ring contacts.

In testimony that I claim theifoijegoing as -my own I have hereto afxedmy signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.- c l WELBY D. WEIR.Witnesses:

CLAUDE V. Wina, H. J. JOHNSON.

